Fiery Remembrance
by Mysia Ri
Summary: UPDATED!! May become R-rated later on. A cross-over of Final Fantasy X and FY(Disclaimer:I own neither) R and R Tas/Chi, possible Hi/Kou, Definatly the result of seeing Ifrit from FFX >.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own FY or FFX or any other animes. 

Fiery Remembrance

"Ok, now what's this?"

"Um...a desert bird?"

"... ... ... Close enough, I suppose..." the older man sighed. He set the card before his friend, gold eyes watching the younger man intensly. "What do you know about it?"

"Uh...it's not affected by earth magic...but weakened by ice?"

"Why are you asking me, Houjun?" 

"You're the one who should know, Hikou," Houjun retorted, handing the card back to his friend. He brushed his chesnut bangs back behind his ear and motioned for Hikou to continue.

"You should know this too. What would you do if we got separated and you didn't know how to defend yourself?" the older man scolded. "Now how about this one?"

"That...is a water type monster, so it would be weak against fire magic."

"That's true, in theory," Hikou said. "But it's immune to all magic attacks except one."

"Um...ice?" Houjun tried again. He winced as Hikou's book hit the top of his head. 

"Thunder. You should know that by now."

"Yeah..." Houjun muttered, rubbing his head. 

"Ok, let's try a few aeons then. A summoner should know at least that much." He held up a card for his friend to examine.

"Valefor. His attacks are non-elemental."

"Alright and this one?" 

"Bahamut, the king of aeons. Also non-elemental attacks though they are often confused for being dark-element attacks."

"Good. Ok, last one before we go. You have to prove that you earned the rite of the summoner today."

"I know," Houjun sighed as Hikou lifted the last card. A smile broke on his face, eyes glinting with delight as he recognized the aeon. "That one is Ifrit, the fire wolf. His attacks include fire alpha, fire omega, meteor strike, and hell fire, as well as powerful physical attacks and-" Hikou clamped a hand over his friend's mouth.

"I don't need every detail, you know." He removed his hand and stood up. The two had been sitting on Houjun's bed, which was dressed in flame-colored sheets that Houjun had decorated himself to look like fire. His own bed lay adjacent to his friends and was covered with simple ocean-blue colored sheets. He looked at the yonger man and handed him a small length of red ribbon to tie his mid-back length chesnut hair back with, his own near-black brown hair pulled up into a loose bun to keep it out of the way. He was dressed in a long-sleeved midnight blue tunic and pant that were tucked into black, mid-shin length boots. The outfit was less traditional of water mage, yet more funtional than the robes, especially for one who was to travel as the guardian of a summoner. 

In contrast, Houjun wore a long-sleeved white tunic, ever-green pants, and black boots that only streched to cover his ankles. He also had a blue traveling cloak that had been left to him by his father, Master Summoner Ri, though he had yet to wear it. Now that he had taken up his father's path and become a summoner, however, he would need it. Even Hikou knew the sacrifices that his friend would be making on his journey, but he was ready to protect him. That was why he had chosen to become a guardian. He didn't want Houjun to be alone in this endevor. Both had been training for this journey for ten years: after Houjun's father died battling Sin.

Hikou watched his friend twirl his staff a few times before flashing a smile at him. He was the only one who knew that Houjun was feigning happiness. Still, he stood by the mohogany eyed man. "Ready to go?" he asked, taking his swallow from its place on the wall and holding it over one shoulder. The blade on each end of the weapon had been specially crafted from a metal commonly used by water mages to forge their weapons of choice. 

"Ready," Houjun nodded, tapping the end of his staff on the ground, the four gold rings chiming. The top of the staff held a heart-shaped gold symbol with a smaller heart atop it. It was simple compared to the more elaborate staves used by other summoners. Houjun had insisted that it was all he needed, however.

The two friends departed towards the trial room that awaited Houjun at the end of the main hall, parting at the door. Houjun approached the three protectors of the temple, stopping ten feet from them and planted the butt of his staff firmly planted on the ground before bowing to them. Each wore only a simple white robe, as was custom during the final test.

"Ah, Houjun. Tomorrow is that day, is it not?" the head summoner of the shrine spoke gently. He looked at him with one silver-colored eye, his other eye hidden behind his platnum blonde hair that held a silvery look to it in the light. It was cut short, nearly chin length.

"Yes Lord Muraki," Houjun replied. "Tomorrow Hikou and I shall begin our journey."

"Do you vow to do whatever it takes to bring us peace?" the priest asked, dark blue eyes peering into Houjun's eyes questioningly. His mid-back length blonde hair hung loosely around his shoulders.

"I do, high priest Julious." The three men nodded to one another and the last man stepped forward and held out his hand. 

"Do you have the summorer's rite?" Houjun nodded and produced a yellowed scroll from seemingly no where, elicting an amused smile from his magic instructor as he accepted the scroll with a nod. He turned away to show the scroll to the others, a long, blonde braid nearly hitting Houjun's hand. The instructor turned to face him again, violet eyes laughing as he held an open box out to his student. "Pick one. It was your father's last gift to you, after all. He wanted you to have two aeons when begining your journey, so you may choose one other." Houjun's eyes lit up. There was only one aeon he wanted more than the others.

"Alexander, do you really believe that a novice summoner could handle anything more that Valefor?" Julious asked, narrowing his eyes at the blonde teacher, who merely looked back at him over his shoulder.

"I don't see why not. His father was the last Master Summoner, so I believe he'll have no trouble. Besides, he seems to have selected Ifrit, which would have been his next aeon anyway."

"He has a point," Muraki said. "Let the boy try." Julious scrowled but then nodded. 

"So be it, then." 

Houjun felt almost giddy as Alexander took a small, fire-red jewel from the box and placed it in his hand. It glowed brightly for a moment and then faded. 

"Alright then, Houjun," the instructor said, stepping back. "Summon Ifrit. If you can summon him for us, I think that High Preist Julious should have no complaints." Houjun nodded after a moment and began to preform the summoning, his heart racing. He had never imagined that he would begin his journey with Ifrit, but he wasn't going to ruin his chance to do so by celebrating just yet. He made the final move, praying that he had preformed the ritual correctly. He looked toward his instructor, but found that he, as well as Julious and Muraki, had stepped back against the wall. Suddenly, the ground shook violently beneath him and erupted upward. Before he could react, he was thrown forward, hitting the ground hard. He rolled onto his back and stared in disbelief at what could only be Ifrit. 

It rose up on its hind legs, towering over Houjun by at least five feet. It seemed very much like the werewolves in stories he had been told as a child: strong, muscular form with large, powerful front paws. A mane of fire trailed from the top of its head down his back and more rose from its hind quarters and flowed like tassels from to wide gold bracelets on its wrists. Two large horns rose from its head and arched back and two more smaller horns rose from its shoulders and curved back as well. A red and yellow beaded necklace hung around its massive neck and it's amber eyes flashed menacingly. He roared loudly before slamming his fists into the ground, toppling Julious and Alexander. Muraki watched on almost stoically, having gotten used to the aeon's appearance over time. Houjun, on the other hand, was too shocked to move at first. Then the amber eyes turned on him and he felt paralyzed. 

'Why...is it looking at me like that...?' he wondered to himself. It began to move toward him and he rose to his feet quickly only to find his staff a few feet away. He stood still and faced the aeon, praying to the gods that it wasn't going to kill him. It stopped before him, the end on its muzzle brushing against his chest and sniffing. An odd idea struck Houjun just then: Ifrit wasn't going to hurt him. He felt suddenly calm as he looked into its eyes and gently raised a hand, jerking it back an inch when the amber orbs took notice. They seemed to hold no malice, however, just curiousity. Houjun was about to drop his hand back to his side when Ifrit bowed his head slightly, as if granting him permission. He lowered his hand and stroked its muzzle gently, relaxing. 

"M-Muraki...." Julious stuttered. "That's...not normal...is it?"

"No..." the summoner shook his head in disbelief. "But can you not see that Houjun can handle him?"

"I-Incredible!" Alexander chimed, grinning. 

"Houjun, now dismiss him," Muraki ordered. "You've proven yourself more than capable."

Houjun frowned and met the amber gaze. "I'm sorry, Ifrit...I have to dismiss you for now...I-is that alright?" he asked gently. The aeon seemed saddened by this, but nodded and vanished from before him.

"Very well then, Houjun," Julious said, still a bit shaken by what he had witnessed. "You and Hikou shall begin your journey tomorrow. Another guardian will be joining you, however."

"What? B-but Hikou and I will be fine on our own, really!" Houjun insisted. He didn't want to involve anyone else in this.

"Nonsense," the priest replied. "Besides, Hikou approved of him already. His name is Kouji."

"The blitzball captain of the Reikaku Riptides?" the mohogany eyed man choked.

"Yes, he has connections and will be of great help on your journey," Alexander smiled. 

'No wonder Hikou agreed,' Houjun thought, grinning in his mind. 'I mean, Hikou knows as much about Kouji as I know about Ifrit after all...' "Alright then, I approve of him as well."

"Great! Now that that's settled, why don't we go meet him!" Alexander insisted, pushing his pupil toward the door.

"You just want his autograph," Julious smirked, making the instructor blush. 

"Shut up!"

"Let him be, Julious," Muraki chuckled. "He's still young."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It...it's him...it was really him..." Tasuki looked up into the abyss that had surrounded him for the past 2000 years. He had nearly forgotten. He had been lost to aggression and the pain of lonliness for so long. Tears stung at his eyes and he smiled. Now he felt as though he could do anything, even defy "god". He growled softly at the thought and closed his eyes. He knew it was going to take everything he had, but now, he could feel his lifeforce. After so long, he had been reborn. It was the chance they had all been waiting for. Now, it was up to him to free the others as well. He felt warmth flowing through him that was gentle and familiar, and he began to make his move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well? Comments, questions, concerns? Please R and R as always ^_~

And, Yes, I am working on my other stories .

Also, the first person who can tell me where Muraki, Julious, and Alexander are from (Note: not from the same series :p), I'll give them a cameo in the next chapter.

Also, if someone out there happens to have a Final Fantasy X players guide or even the game and can tell me the names of the two monsters mentioned at the begining, I'll give the frist a cameo, too. 

Two chances, ne ^_^ Love, Peace, and Chibis, no da!


	2. Chapter 2

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 2

The sun gleamed down from the cloudless sky over Eiyo. It was a perfect day for the blitz-ball tournament that had been held every year in Eiyo for over a century. The crowd bustled around the entrance of the stadium, buying items from the various merchants so they could better support their team of choice. T-shirts, photos, flags, balloons, and even blitzballs sporting team logos were sold to those who had money to spare. 

"Thank you!" Alexander chimed, taking the envelope from the merchant he and Hikou had sought out. He scurried out of the line and returned to Houjun and Hikou's side. "There, I've got them."

"Let me see," Hikou practically pleaded, peering over the instructor's shoulder as he broke the wax seal on the back. 

"You bought trading cards?" Houjun asked, trying to get a look as well. 

"The Reikaku Riptides set," he said, eyes gleaming as he looked over the cards. "See, this one's Kouji Daigo. He's the team captain." He held the card up for Houjun to see. The rougish-looking player had blackish-blue hair and jade-green eyes. In his picture, he was wearing a long, sleeveless red jacket over an open white shirt and black pants that tucked into mid-shin length black boots and a pair of fingerless, black gloves. The jacket had a high collar on it and around his neck was a black choker that had a green stripe in the center, matching the tattoo that all of the team players had on their left arm just above the elbow. It was a way of allowing the rest the team to dress casually yet maintain a bit of uniform. Around his forehead, almost completely covered by his unruly bangs, was a braided leather-like headband, which was one of his trademarks. "Then this one's Sakata Ri*, she's the second best player on the team."

"And the player you've had a crush on for quite some time," Hikou pointed out with a grin. 

"Shut up," the blonde snapped, his face turning red. Houjun smiled and took the card from his teacher so he could look it over. She had mid-back length hair that faded from blonde to blue and greyish-blue eyes. She was wearing a white zip-up vest with red trim and a high collar over a short-sleeved, dark purple shirt. Her snug black pants had a red stripe running down the side and were tucked into black boots that were not only laced, but had three buckles on the front and a zipper on the side. White gloves with trim like her vest completed her outfit and, like her captian, she too had the black and green tattoo.

"She has the same last name as I do too," the summoner observed with a smile, handing the card back to his teacher. "Who else is on the team?"

"Well," Alexander began once again, "There's Sanosuke Sagara*, Nasch Lumatsuku*, Haruko Harahana*, Watari Yutaka*, and Viollet Aria*. Sanosuke is the goalie."

"Hey," Hikou said, pointing at one of the several moniters that hovered in the air. "Looks like they have the line up posted." On the screen flashed the five team symbols: The Konan Wingblades, the Kutou Resisty(1), the Hokkan Shellshockers , the Sairo Windsteel , and the Raikaku Riptides. Above each team names was a yellow line, four of them leading to two boxes, the last leading to a third box above the one on the left. 

"Ah, the first match of the day is Konan versus Hokkan and the second it Sairo versus Reikaku," the blonde stated

"And Kutou goes against the winner of the first match in third," Hikou nodded. "I hope they lose bad this year."

"So do I," Alexander agreed.

"Um..." Houjun raised his hand. "If you've forgotten, I didn't get to come to the match last year."

"Oh yeah, we aren't supposed to talk about last year's match around you," Alexander laughed lightly. "Sorry about that."

"It's not our fault you got sick," Hikou teased.

"It is too, Mr. It's-Not-Contageous," the smaller teen huffed.

"He told me it wasn't," Hikou retorted, pointing at Alexander.

"It wasn't supposed to be," the blonde sighed. "I apologized, didn't I?"

"Still," Houjun muttered, crossing his arms.

"Come on," he smiled, taking the teen's shoulder. "We have to go to the locker room now if we want to meet Kouji before the game."

"Don't change the subject, I'm still mad at you!" 

"Come on, Jun," Hikou smiled, pushing him from behind. "I'm not going to miss an opportunity to meet the team because you're in a mood."

"Cut it out!"

~*~*~*~*~

From the shadows, a pair of amber eyes watched the trio. A soft smile spread across their owner's face as he leaned against a wall and sighed quietly. 

'Found you,' he thought. He waited until they had left before emerging into the light. Flame-red, unruly hair gently moved like fire in the wind and he looked up at the blitzball stadium. He wore a long, black trench coat that had a blue lining over a white shirt and pants that tucked into knee-length boots. A metel fan rested against his back, held in place by a gold-colored belt that crossed from his right shoulder to his left hip. He nodded after a moment and approached the entrance. 

~*~*~*~*~

The locker rooms were located beneath the bustling stadium. It was a more relaxed atmosphere for the most part. The players were going over strategys and last minutes preparations for the tournament. The average player was required to be able to hold their breath for at least five minutes. The more experenced players could usually stay underwater for an hour or more. This was a necessary skill, since the game was played within a large sphere of water that was created using a technology that allowed liquid to keep an even surface tension. 

"Hey! There you guys are!" a voice called out as Houjun, Hikou, and Alexander entered the hallway. Before they could figure out where the voice came from, Kouji was before them, a wide smile on his face.

"Yer the summoner, right? Houjun, was it?" He grabbed the stunned teen's hand and shook it vigerously. "I was worried dat ya wouldn't get here before the match. I'm Kouji Daigo!" He looked to Hikou and Alexander before lunging at them and shaking their hands as well. "I'm so honored ta finally meet you guys. Da whole gang's anxious ta greet da summoner I'm supposed ta protect. Come on!" He whirled around and darted off ahead of them, stopping before the door at the end of the hall.

"Knock knock! Who's dere? Kouji! Kouji who? De team captain, dat's who! Oh, why didn't ya say so? Come in! Thanks!" After his speech, he burst through the door cheerfully. "They're here!"

Cautiously, Houjun peered through the door while Kouji and Alexander entered first. 

"Aww, he's shy," Sakata cooed, smiling at him. A young man with shoulder length dark-brown hair and gray eyes tilted his head slightly and motioned Houjun into the room. Out of all the players, he was dressed simply in a white, button-down shirt and black pants and was barefoot. 

"Don't be shy," he coaxed gently. 

"Yeah, we don't bite or anything," another player laughed. He had chocolate-brown hair that was sweapt up in a sort of cowlick and brown eyes. He wore a sleeveless yellow shirt and pants of the same color as well as low-cut red shoes. 

He nodded, feeling a bit akward as he entered the room. He wasn't used to the idea of sitting in a blitzball locker room just yet. Kouji was at his side in an instant and guiding him to a seat. "Lemme introduce ya to my gang," he grinned. "This is Viollet," he said, pointing to the boy in the the white button-up shirt," and that's Nasch," he pointed to the boy with the strange hair style. "Over there is Watari Yutaka, and next to him is Haruko Harahana." he gestured to a man with golden hair that was pulled back into a messy ponytail and wearing blue shirt over a black turtle neck. Beside him stood a girl with short pink hair, a pair of goggles on her head. She was dressed in a red leather jumper over black pants, a white scarf, and red gloves "And the quiet guy over there is Sanosuke Sagara," he pointed to an imposing man with spiky brown hair. He wore a fighting gi with the top open to reveal his lean, muscular physique. His abdomen and forearms were wrapped with white athletic tape and a long strip of red cloth was tied around his forehead, the ends hanging loose behind him as he sat meditationg. "And then there's Sakata Ri, my second in command."

"Hi," she said, smiling at him. 

"Oh...uh, hi...everyone..." he smiled. "Um, I'm Houjun Ri, and this is my teacher Alexander Howell and my guardian Hikou Mizuka." Hikou nodded, looking over the team, trying not to grin like a maniac. Alexander was trying, with less sucess, but mostly was stealing glances at Sakata. 

"So, you get to travel around with this cutie, huh?" Haruko teased. Houjun shifted a bit uncomfortably. Kouji laughed and patted Houjun on the back. 

"What about you?" Sakata asked, looking up at Alexander. 

"W-who, me?" the blonde stammered, a slight blush coloring his cheeks..

"Yeah, are you going with them or what?"

"Oh, no no, I'm just their escort until they leave with Kouji from Reikaku. Then I return to the shrine."

"Oh," she said, looking away. 

"Anyway, you guys should get to yer seats. Da first game should be startin' soon," Kouji pointed out with a grin.

Houjun nodded and bowed to the team. "Good luck in your match."

"Yeah," Hikou added, nodding to Kouji. "We'll come by after your first match."

"Great!" Kouji grinned. "I'll look forward ta it."

"Um..one last thing before we go," Alexander began, pulling out his trading cards. Smiling happily he handed them to Kouji. "Can I get your autographs?" The emerald-eyed man laughed and took the pictures.

"No problem at all," he assured the blonde. "We'll give dem to ya when ya come by later, ok?"

~*~*~*~*~

Houjun plopped down in his seat and looked around. Since he was a summoner, Alexander, Hikou, and he had been given seats one section back from the front, which were the seats with the best veiw of the entire field. The water finally took its shape and was set for the game. Circling the field was a ring where the players entered the water at. Just as the atheletes for the first match entered the water, something caught Houjun's attention: a man with blonde hair that sat in a box above the field.

"I don't believe it," he muttered.

"What is-" Hikou stopped, seeing what Houjun had. "Isn't that-"

"That's Summoner Nakago, one of the most powerful summoners around at the moment..."Alexander said. "I didn't know he he was going to be here..."

"And the Wingblades score the first point!" the announcer called, snapping the trio out of their temporary daze.

"Aw man," Hikou sighed. "And we missed it. Let's worry about summoners and other stuff later, alright?"

"Yeah," Houjun agreed, tearing his eyes away from the blonde summoner. 

During half-time, Alexander and Hikou left to get some snacks, leaving Houjun to watch their seats. The summoner took his time to look around the stadium a bit more. Everyone seemed to be having fun (everyone except the Hokkan fans, as Konan was leading 3-1). He streached his arms over his head and yawned, relaxing in this atmosphere. It had been quite a whle since he had been in a crowd as boisterous as this, let alone by himself. He sat back and closed his eyes for a moment, taking it all in. He never wanted to forget this day. The journey ahead would definatly test his courage and determination. He didn't want to think too far into his journey, though.

"Are you alright?" 

The voice startled him from his thoughts and his eyes snapped opened to meet a pair of amber eyes. For a moment, he felt like he couldn't breath under that startling gaze.

"Ah...yeah...I'm fine..."

"That's good," the young man replied with a smile, revealing elongated canines. "Ya had me worried fer a minute."

"Oh, ah...sorry." He took a slow breath to calm himself. A thought struck him as he gazed at the other man. "Have...we met before?"

"Hmm? I dunno, maybe," he replied. "The name's Genrou, by the way. You can call me Tasuki, though."

"Ta-su-ki..." Hooujun said slowly. 'That name is...so familiar...where have I heard it before...' "It's nice to meet you, Tasuki. My name's Houjun."

"The pleasure's mine, really." He stood up and nodded at him. "Looks like yer friends're comin' back, so I'll let ya be. Maybe I'll see ya later after the game, huh?"

"Uh..that...that would be great," the summoner replied with a smile. 

"I'll look forward to it, then." Before Houjun could reply, Tasuki turned and left as quickly as he had appeared. 

"Who was that guy? Was he bothering you?" Hikou asked quickly.

"We shouldn't have left you alone, really," Alexander apologized.

"Huh? Oh, no, he wasn't bothering me, really. Just talking," Houjun replied, smiling. "I'm fine" 'from the waist up,' he thought, leaning forward a bit. "Looks like they're starting again."

"Yeah, just in time," Hikou grinned. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was going to be longer, but I decided to break it up.

The winner, by the way, was Sansele. Yes, Julious is from Angelique ^_^

Also, Eeyaatoe gets a cameo because she was nice to me ^_^ Unfortuntly, the part with the cameo is being pushed back a chapter because of how I broke it up. This is a good oppurtunity, however, for a new contest and more cameos ^_^

There are astriks (*) next to the names of the Reikaku Riptides players. Whoever can tell me where at least three of them are from/who they are, they get a cameo along with Sansele and Eeyaatoe in the next chapter. ie, the one who guesses the most correctly gets a cameo. Brownie points if you know who Viollet Aria and Sakata Ri are since they are friends of mine. If you guess, tell me what team you would most likely cheer for, too ^_^

(1) You'd have to have seen the episode of Invader Zim my room mates and I have seen ^_^ Back Seat Drivers From Beyond the Stars

If I get lots of reveiws, I might get the next chapter out soon ^_~*


	3. Chapter 3

OK, as for cameos in this chapter, Sansele and Keimei were the winners, Eeyaatoe was nice to me, and Deja-chan was technically right (although she replied twice .)

First chapter: Alexander is Alec from Ayashi no Ceres, Muraki if from Yami no Matsuei, and Julious is from Angelique (I'm surprised Sansele knew ^.^)

Second Chapter: Sanosuke Sagara is from Kenshin, Nasch Lumatsuku is the full name of Nash from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Haruko Harahana is from FLCL aka Furi Kuri, Watari Yutaka is from Yami no Matsuei as well, Sakata Ri is indeed Sakata Ri Houjun, and Viollet Aria is a friend and fanfic author, though he's taken his work off of FFN

Hmm...that's four out of the six who reviewed to date who have cameos...There'll be more chances later, though.

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 3

The buzzer sounded just as the ball shot into the net, but it was too little to late.

"And that's it folks," the announcer called and the two teams exited the field. "And Konan wins the first match with a score of 7 to 2. Better luck next year, Hokkan."

"It was obvious from the start that Konan was going to win," Hikou laughed. 

"Of course, but Hokkan at least tried to put up some defense," Houjun pointed out. "Not a good defense, but..."

"And now, in the second match, the Sairo Windsteel versus the Reikaku Riptides!" As the players entered entered, walking around the player's ring, the crowd cheered on their favorite teams.

"WAI! GO REIKAKU!" Eeyaatoe shouted, leaping up from her seat and waving a sign over her head.

"Go Kouji-kun!!!" Sansele cheered.

"Go team!" Deja-chan added to the commotion.

"Get 'em, Sakata-chan!!!" Keimei cried, waving a flag with her friend's name on it.

Kouji looked toward Keimei and Sansele and winked at thim seductively, causing both girls to blush furiously.

"And in they go," the annoncer stated as the players entered the water. The ball was launched between Kouji and the Sairou center player, Tatara. "And Reikaku get the ball right off the bat. This could be trouble for the Sairou team."

"Yeah! Go Kouji!" Houjun shouted. Beside him, Hikou seemed rather quiet, eyes focusing through the watery haze to track Kouji. The blitz ball player passed the ball to Sakata and swam quickly toward the goal. As Sakata carried the ball closer, the other team closed in. She passed it to Watari and shot up through the water to cover her teammate. Watari quickly passed the ball to Viollet, who caught the ball just as Takiko tried to intercept it, sliding easily around the other man. The brunette player then swam upward and threw the ball to Kouji, who was in shooting range of the net. With a strong kick, he sent the ball into the net.

"Looks like Reikaku is still as energetic as they were last year, folks," the announcer laughed. "They might make it to the finals again this year with little resistance."

After five minutes, the teams exited the field, needing a break. For the Sairou team, it was also their chance to try to think of some way of scoring with Sanosuke blocking their every shot. The score stood at 3-0.

"This is sooo exciting," Keimei squealed.

"I know, and can you believe that we got such great seats?" Sansele added. She glanced back quickly and suddenly froze. She could hardly believe her eyes for a moment and then shook Keimei's arm.

"What? I'm watching the repla-" Keimei suddenly spotted what Sansele had and covered her mouth with her hand. "Is that Houjun?"

"I...I think so..." she blinked and then grinned. "Gods, he grew up and got hot!" 

Keimei giggled and waved at the summoner, who sat three rows behind them.

"Houjun! Hey!"

"Huh?" He looked around before his eyes fell on the two girls and smiled. "Hi."

"Oh my god!" Sansele giggled. "It really is him! Houjun!" she waved.

"Keimei and Sansele, right?" he guessed. He hadn't seen the pair since he had decided to become a summoner following his father's death ten years ago, but it was hard to forget some people. "How are you guys?" 

"We're fine, Jun!" Keimei smiled.

"How are you and Hikou doing?" Sansele asked.

"Oh, we're fine too," he replied. "We're leaving after this."

"Oh?" Sansele frowned. "I guess we won't get to talk again, then?"

"Will you at least write?" Keimei asked.

"Of course I will," Houjun smiled, nodding. "It's a promise."

"You'd better, or we'll hunt you down," Sansele threatened.

"I believe you, too," Houjun laughed. Hikou blinked, looking away from the replays that they were showing and noticed the two girls.

"Oh, I didn't see you guys there."

"We've only been talking for the last five minutes," the summoner chided, sticking his tongue out at his friend. "You were too busy thinking about Kouji."

"Shut up!" the mage snapped, trying not to blush. He grinned and looked at the girls. "Don't listen to him."

"Hey, you have to write too, Hikou," Keimei managed to say. She was laughing so hard, it was hard to talk.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, if you will direct your attention to the playing field, the second half of the game is about to begin!"

~*~*~*~*~

"Dere ya are!" Kouji smiled as the trio returned, Keimei and Sansele in tow. His wet bangs clung limply to his skin and he pushed them back out of his eyes.

"Hope you don't mind our friends coming with us," Houjun smiled. "We haven't seen them in years."

"Nah, fans are always welcome here," the green-eyed man nodded. "'Sides, I saw 'em in the crowd earlier an' I know dey're cool."

"Ah...t-thanks," Keimei grinned, barely supressing the urge to glomp the man before her.

"I-it's an honor," Sansele added, blushing slightly.

"Oh yeah, and here are yer cards, Al," Kouji said, reaching up to take the envelope from the top of the lockers. "I put it up dere ta keep 'em dry."

"Thanks alot," the blonde smiled, not at all bothered at being called Al. 

"So, guys," Sakata began, coming forward. She had a towel draped over her shoulders from drying her hair somewhat. "What'd you think of the game?"

"You guys were awesome!" Houjun practically shouted. "It was so intense!"

"It was definately impressive," Alexander said, smiling ear to ear. "A 10-0 score is rare."

"And we still have one more round to go," Viollet chimed, wringing out the edge of his white shirt that was practically see-thru as it stuck to his skin.

"I hope it's against the Kouto team," Sanosuke said, startling everyone in the locker room except Kouji and Sakata. "I owe them for last year." He punched his left hand. "Damn cheats."

"I still can't believe the judges didn't see it," Watari sighed. "Still, that was last year. This year, we won't lose."

"We'll be cheering for you," Houjun promised.

"Hey, da next game'll be startin' soon," Kouji said, looking at the moniter provided for the team. "Hey, why don't I go an' sit wit' ya guys? No one'll mind."

"That'd be great!" Hikou said quickly. "I mean, as long as it's not a problem."

"Not at all," he replied, nodding at his team. "Don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll make sure they don't," Sanosuke smirked, cracking his knuckles.

"It's settled den, let's go!" He hooked his arm around Houjun's and guided him out of the room. Hikou followed them, the two girls closely behind him. Alexander turned to leave as well, but Sakata caught his arm.

"Hey, can you stay for a bit?" she asked. "We can watch the game from here, if you want."

"Uh...I-I guess," he replied, a slight blush coloring his cheeks again. He followed her to a bench and sat down. "W-why do you want me to stay?"

"I..uh, need someone to talk to, you know? I mean, the guys are pretty cool and all, but...well, it's rare for me to get to hang out with fans... You don't mind, right?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"N-no, I was just wondering..." He swallowed and looked at the moniter, trying to distract himself, which was hard to do with Sakata Ri, his favorite player and crush sitting beside him. 

Sakata sighed quietly and tilted her head slightly towards the blonde. She was half tempted to lean her head on his shoulder, but didn't know how he would react. 

'Maybe after the halftime,' she thought to herself as the game started. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope everyone's happy ^^;;

Maybe I'll get the next chapter done tomorrow, no da :p


	4. Chapter 4

FYI: Ashitare is 6'5", has greyish-brown hair and grey eyes, and is human :p

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 4

"Ladies and gentlemen, with only 45 seconds left in this match, the Wingblades and the Resisty are tied with two points a peice," the announcer called. "If niether team scores, we may be going into overtime."

"Come on Konan!" Houjun cried, nearly on his feet. Hikou was on his feet, as was half the stadium. Kouji was gripping the back of the seat in front of him so tightly, it seemed it might break from the force. It wasn't often that a game was forced into overtime. At the back of their section, Tasuki had moved from watching Houjun to watching the match. He hadn't been in a crowd as large as this and found the boisterous atmosphere highly contageous as he began cheering for Konan just as loudly as everyone else.

Amiboshi and Suboshi swam up on either side of the Konan center, who was recieving a pass. Just before he caught the ball, the two slammed into him, knocking the air out of him. Both grabbed for the ball and then turned and swam in different directions. For a moment, the Konan team didn't know who to go after, but then decided it would be safer to head for thier goal. The three-quarters of the crowd that wasn't cheering for the Kutou team showed their dissatisfaction of the play, but that didn't stop Suboshi from passing the ball to Tomo, who passed the ball to Amiboshi, or so it seemed to the goalie, who didn't seem to notice the ball as it flew passed him. Just as the ball hit the net, the buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the match.

"And, in a startling upset, the Kotou Resisty move on to the finals. The Kouto section cheered, but were hardly heard over the shouts of protest. Houjun frowned. He didn't know what it was, but he felt that Kutou had somehow cheated without being detected.

"Kouji, do you think they cheated?" he asked the emerald-eyed player.

"Huh?" Kouji blinked, trying to shake off his anger. "Yeah, I think dey cheated, but I didn't see anythin' illegal."

"Funny...but I think I know what it is, and I have an idea."

"I'm listenin'"

"Not here," Houjun said. He took Kouji's hand in his and looked at Hikou. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go punch something," the mage growled and stormed off. Houjun sighed and teleported to the locker room with Kouji in tow.

"Ok, I think I know how they keep getting away with cheating," he announced. 

"Wah!" Watari cried in shock, leaping to his feet and turning to look at the pair. 

"Where did you guys come from?" Viollet asked, a hand on his chest.

"Everyone, listen up," Kouji commanded, drawing his team's attention. "Houjun's got somethin' ta say, so stop askin' questions." They gathered around their leader and the mage quickly except for Sakata and Alexander.

"I'll talk to you after the game, Alec," she whispered before joining her teammates. The blonde sighed quietly and smiled before turning his attention to his pupil.

"I think one of the players on the Kutou team is a mage," he began. "One that can create illusions."

"That would explain it," Watari nodded. 

"Those dirty bastards," Haruko growled.

"I have an idea, though," Houjun grinned. "I can't use my magic to conteract his illusion because I'm not familliar with illusion spells, but I can make it so you guys can see thorugh his illusions, with your permission, of course."

"I think we should," Kouji nodded. 

"Yeah, then we can beat them at their own game, right?" Nasch agreed.

"I don't think anyone is going to object to a fair game," Viollet pointed out, Sanosuke and Haruko nodded. 

"Alright then," the mage said, holding out his hand. His staff appeared and he held it high and began chanting the necessary spell.

~*~*~*~*~

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer called out. "The final match of this years Blitzball Tournament begins. The Kutou Resisty versus the Reikaku Riptides." Both teams entered the field and took their positions. Kouji faced the Kutou center, Soi, and nodded to her. She merely blew him off as the ball was launched. Kouji caught the ball and threw it to Viollet, who was quick to take the ball towards their goal. He caught the sight of one of the twins coming up on his right and spun around in the water and passed the ball to Sakata, who continued toward the goal. Tomo swam right before her and seemed to be waiting for her to slam into him. His eyes widened in shcok as she merely dodged around him and passed the ball to Watari, who kicked the ball hard towrds the goal, bouncing it off the right side of the net, drawing the goalie, Ashitare, away from the center and leaving it completly open for Haruko to slam the ball in for the first goal of the game. She high fived Watari and they swam back to the center of the field to await the next play.

"Incredible!" the announcer cried. "And the Riptides manage to score a fast goal. This is going to be a heated match. It seems that Kutou has called for a time out and the teams exit to the player's ring.

"What is going on out their, Tomo!?" Soi snapped at the slightly taller man. 

"I...I don't know," he admitted. "My spell didn't have any effect on her."

"Is it possible for them to be immune to the spell this year?" Amiboshi asked.

"No," Tomo spat.

"Yes, actually," Miboshi pointed out. He was the shortest person on the team, standing at only 4'10", but also the stratigist. He brushed back his black hair, ebony eyes looking over his team mates. "They must have gotten help from a mage."

"Then what can we do?" Suboshi asked.

"We go with plan 'B'", Soi smirked. 

"I don't kno-" Amiboshi began, but then decided against it as Tomo glared at him.

"Then let's show them how dangerous a sport Blitzball can be. Tomo, you get in the goal. Ashitare, you play in his place."

After a moment, they signaled that they were ready to start again

~*~*~*~*~

Half-time couldn't have come sooner for the Reikaku team. They entered the locker room wearily and sat down, tending to their bruised bodies.

"They're playing...hard now..." Watari panted.

"Yeah..." Nasch agreed. After a moment of silence, he looked up to Kouji. "What do we do now?"

"Yeah," Haruko aggreed. "What can we do?'

"Don't be dat way," Kouji replied. "It's simple. If they want ta play hard ball with Reikaku, den we'll play hard ball. Dey haven't beaten us yet."

"That's right," Sakata agreed. "They're only tied with us. We can take them."

"Just remember dat when we go out dere, we gotta watch out for 'em and fer each other. Now, are you guys ready ta show 'em?"

"Yeah!" Viollet grinned.

"Let's get them," Sanosuke said, pounding his fist into his hand. 

A light flared to life above the door, signalling that it was time to return to the field. They lined up on their side of the player's ring and prepared for the final round. Kouji raised his hand high.

"For Reikaku!" The team responded with a loud, lupin-like howl, the crowd echoing the cry. This match was for more then the championship now. It was for Reikaku's pride.

They lept into the water and the game was underway again. The ball exchanged hands several times between the teams, neither wanting their opponent to score, but both wanting to win. The clock ticked away the seconds as though they were hours as the entire stadium was on edge. Kouji pushed himself upward through the water to get a quick look how much time was left when he spotted Ashitare about to catch up with Watari, who was ten feet from being in shooting range of the goal. He narrowed his eyes and shot through the water, angling at the larger player. He slammed into him with everything he had, sending him flying out of the field and into the stands. He righted himself and glared at him with an expression the read "don't mess with my team."

Watari passed the ball to Viollet, on the verge of exhaustion from the intensity of the game. The brunette player faked a shot at the goal before pulling away from it quickly as Sakata slid up from benethe and kicked the ball into the goal. Tomo dove for it, but it was too late. The buzzer sounded and the stadium erupted into a frenzy of cheering. Kouji grinned and swam to meet his team mates in the center of the field, pulling them into a group hug. They exited the water and waved at the crowd, panting heavily. They were about to receive the tournament trophy when a shadow covered the stadium.

And then the screaming started.


	5. Chapter 5

Well, Sansele-chan, I have a confession to make too. My stories seem better because I'm having someone help me/train me on how to write detail. She's also my editor/beta-er/favorite authoress: Sakata Ri Houjun.

So....yeah...that explains alot. :p I'm getting better, though ^_^

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 5

People ran to the exits of the stadium as three large, bird-like creatures appeared above, casting omnious shadows. Long leathery wings spread from thier sides , kicking up a fearsome wind while searing white light poured from their mouth, blasting away part of the stadium as they swooped down. 

"This is bad," Watari gulped, his coral eyes driking in the sight. 

"No shit," Sanosuke agreed quietly.

"This ain't no time to stand and gawk! Those spectators are defenseless! You guys go an' help evacuate da stadium!" Kouji commanded before taking a grand leap over the gap between the palyer's ring and the seats, his red jacket flapping behind him. 

"And where are you going?" Nasch asked, yelling over the commotion.

The dark-haired man glanced back at his teammates. "I'm a guardian now, remember? Just go, an' hurry!" he shouted as he turned to dash up the stairs toward the top of the stadium.

"You heard him, now move!" Sakata snapped, taking over as second-in-command. Frantically she motioned the rest of the Riptides to follow their captain off the field, making certain that the others went first. She looked up as Sanosuke brushed past her, heading towards the players' exit from the field.

"I've got to get something from the locker room," he explained cooly without waiting for her question. She nodded before leaping to the seats as well and speeding towards the exit to aid her teammates.

Houjun watched the monsterous creature with wide eyes as Hikou led him towards the exit, using his powers to protect his charge.

"Houjun, pay attention!" his friend and guardian shouted. "You have to get out of here with the others. Leave this to me, alright?"

"W-wait a minute," the summoner stammered. "Those monsters are weak against fire, not water."

"I know that, but I can handle them." He pushed his friend into Alexander and ran back towards the field, his weapon appearing in his hand.

"Come on, Houjun," the blonde insisted, gripping his former student's wrist gently. "Hikou's right."

"I-I can't! Hikou will be killed if he tries to fight them by himself! Besides, I have to protect these people too!" With that, he wrenched his wrist free and ran to catch up with his friend. Alexander was about to follow after him when one of the creatures passed overheard, blasting it's deadly attack at a nearby upper section of seats, causing it to crumble. Large, jagged chunks of metal and rock crashed down towards the asile below where the crowd was running in a panicked frenzy.

"Run, you idiots!" Sakata's voice called out as she paractically chased the people off. She stopped near a small child, who had tripped and was sprawled out, crying. She had just managed to pick him up when she finally noticed the debris heading her way. The Blitzball player curled her body protectively around the boy, closing her eyes tightly, waiting for impact. Suddenly a force pushed her backwards mere seconds before a large piece landed where she had been standing. She opened her eyes to find Alexander was holding her, the child pressed safely between them.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, smiling gently. Slowly, she returned the smile and nodded, her heart pounding.

"We have to get him out of here," she said, petting the fightened boy's head. Alexander released her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"You go ahead. I have to make sure Houjun gets out of here." A crowd of people rushed past them for the exit and the blonde looked up at them for a moment. "Go with them...and I'll catch up when I'm done here." 

Sakata wanted to protest his decsion, but instead smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later then." She took a step back before turning and following the others through the exit. Alexander sighed in relief and hurried in the direction Houjun had gone in, hoping to catch up with him before he got hurt, or worse.

~*~*~*~*~

Houjun hurried down toward the field, climbing over the seats to get through the more congested areas. He came to a stop when he was certain that he could try his idea without hurting anyone. He called his staff to his hand and began twirling it before him, his mind focusing as he drew upon his skill. A magic circle appeared under his feet, spreading outward until it was eight feet in diameter, glowing brightly. He closed his eyes for a moment as he then brought the top of the staff to the ground at the edge of the circle. 

Nothing happened.

His eyes snapped open in confusion and he looked down to see that the circle had vanished. 

"W-What?" However, he didn't have much time to wonder what could have gone wrong. The ritual had attracted the attention of the largest of the three creatures and it shot an attack at the Houjun. Luckily it missed, blasting the section beside him, the force sending the summoner to the ground. Hikou sensed rather than saw this and looked toward his friend, leaving himself momentarily open for an attack.

"BONSAI!" Kouji cried from above him, landing on the creature the water mage had been fighting. He drew a dagger and drove it into the back of its head. He bucked wildly and flapped its wings twice before it decended towrad the seats. The emerald-eyed man clung on until the wild ride was over before he risked jumping off. 

"Houjun's in trouble," Hikou called out as he ran passed him. He could see his friend on the other side of the field and prayed to the gods that he would make it. 

"Look out!" Kouji cried, slamming into the water mage and knocking him to the ground. The third creature swooped over them, narrowly missing. It cried out in fury and circled around, firing a blast at them. The two guardians got to their knees in time for Hikou to block the attack momentarily with one of his own.

"Hold on!" Alexander called out to them, practically leaping down the starirs three at a time to reach the pair of gaurdians. He stopped behind them and cast a quick spell, his eyes flashing. A violet-tinted barrier formed around the trio, protecting them from the creature's next attack.

"Yeah, but how do we stop it?" Hikou asked, clambering to his feet. 

But before his question could be answered, the creature suddenly cried out again, this time in pain as it was cleaved in half. All eyes fell on Sanosuke, who had come up behind the monster. In his hands, he held an immense sword, the blade partially embedded in the alise. With a grunt, he easily hefted the weapon that was nearly twice his height and rested it casually on one shoulder. 

"Thanks Sano!" Kouji called to his teammate. Alexander let the barrier vanish and they hurried towards Houjun again, Sanosuke in tow.

~*~*~*~*~

Houjun looked up at the massive creature as it landed near him. He tried to get to his feet, but found that his arm was pinned between a seat and a large peice of stone. He tugged at his hand, panicking as it came closer to him. In desperation, he reached for his staff, but it hand landed just out of his reach, his fingers ust barely able to brush against the polished wood. 

'No...' he thought, squeezing his eyes shut as he strained to reach his weapon. 'Please...not like this...I can't die like this...' 

"Rekka Shinen!" 

The summoner felt a searing heat rushing past him and opened his eyes. As the creature writhed in pain, flapping its massive wings and trying to take off and all he could do was stare in utter disbelief. He gazed up as someone came to stand before him, amber eyes looking him over carefully.

"You ok?" Tasuki asked calmly, crouching down. "You ain't hurt are ya?"

Houjun opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. The red head smiled at him and looked up at the creature as it howled in fury, preparing to fire a blast at them. 

"I'll take care a' this guy," he muttered before reaching back and withdrawing his metal fan out of its holster. "Rekka Shinen!" Tasuki cried out fiercely, swinging his weapon before him, a wave of fire erupting from the end and engulfing the creature. It choked back on its attack, doing more damage to itself as it shrieked out in pain. It fell back, crashing into the seats and destroying yet another section of the stadium. 

Houjun watched as the creature stopped moving, amazed that it only took two fire attacks to kill it. 

'He must be a master fire mage,' he thought, his eyes returning to Tasuki. The miraculous fan had returned to its place on his back and he was moving the stone that had the summoner's arm pinned. Once he had pushed it aside, he flashed a smiled at Houjun and offered his hand to him. 

"I-I... Thank you, Tasuki..." he managed to force out, stuttering in embarassment as he placed his hand in his savior's. "You saved my life."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, gently helping him to his feet. The redhead took the summoner's other hand in his own, examining it carefully. "Nothin' seems broken... Are you gonna be alirght?"

Houjun tried to answer him again, still finding it hard to speak. He blushed a bit and looked to the ground, attempting to regain his composure. 

"Houjun!" Hikou called to him. The cerulean-haired man looked up to see his two guardians, teacher, and the Riptides' goalie as they reached them. Kouji halted first to gaze at the charred carcas of the creature that had attacked the summoner and let out a low whistle. 

"Damn, you really nailed 'im," he said, looking at Tasuki. Alexander glanced at it as well, but was more concerned about his student at the moment. 

"Are you hurt?" he asked, looking at the injured hand over Genrou's shoulder. 

"Idiot, I told you to leave," Hikou snapped as he picked up his friend's staff, the rings chiming softly. He was seriously tempted to hit his friend on the head with it in hopes of knocking some sense into him. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

"I...I was trying to summon Ifrit..." Houjun admitted, lowering his gaze. "Because...I didn't want you to get hurt, but...he didn't come." 

Tasuki shifted abit and bit his lip. Alexander sighed and gently went to younger man's side. 

"It's not your fault, Houjun," he reassured him. "Maybe he was summoned by someone else. He can't be in two places at once."

"I know...I just..." he shook his head and sighed. "Nevermind, that's not important right now, is it?" He looked up and smiled at his friends. "We should go and help out the injured first."

"First, though," Sanosuke began as he walked past the others, heading toward the exit. "I think red's gonna have ta let go of your hands."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

R and R as usual, no da ^_^ More chapters for more reveiws.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, no more blitzball...for now, anyway. Now, on with the adventure. Domo arigatou for the reveiws ^_^ keep it up!

No anime characters were harmed in the making of the last chapter.

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 6

Houjun sighed and sat back against his seat. His left arm was bandaged from his hand to his elbow and held in a simple sling to keep it from furthur harm until he could be treated by the healing mage at Mt. Reikaku. Alexander sat on his right, violet eyes gazing out the window of the carriage they were riding in. He had decided to accompany the young summoner until he left the mountain to assure his safety. Hikou sat on his other side, his arms folded against his chest as he made idle conversation with Kouji, who sat across from him. Watari sat beside him, his head resting against the wall as he dozed, worn out from the events at the stadium. He had five bandaids affixed on his left cheek covering a cut that ran from his cheekbone to his chin. Like many others, he had sustained a few minor injuries, but fortunatly no one was killed. The rest of the team was riding in another carriage that followed theirs. Tasuki, however, had declined to accompany them.

~*~

"Yer goin' ta Reikaku?"

"Yes," Houjun replied. Tasuki paused in bandaging his arm for a moment and looked up at him.

"I thought ya already had Ifrit, though, so why are you goin' there?"

"Well...I guess I don't really have to, but I feel like I should...to pay respect."

"Oh," the red-head muttered. He finished wrapping the damaged limb and gently nestled it into the sling around the sommoner's neck. "I guess dat I'll see ya later den." He rose and began to walk away.

"W-wait," Houjun began, catching Tasuki's arm with his good hand. "Where are you going?"

"Hmm? I got some things ta take care of, that's all," he replied without looking back.

"Oh," the summoner sighed, releasing his grip. "Alright, then. I'm sorry I asked." He lowered his gaze and waited for Tasuki to leave. Instead, his felt the other man's callosed hand warmly carress his chin, lifting it gently until their eyes met. 

"Hey, don't let it get to ya. I'll see ya again." Houjun blinked, his voice lost in the amber depths of Tasuki's eyes. "I promise dat I'll always be around when ya need me, though. I promise."

~*~

'His eyes are beautiful...' Houjun thought, sighing softly. 'Familiar, too...like I've looked into them before...'

"You alright, Houjun?" Kouji asked, interupting his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," he replied with a smile.

"Good, cause were just about dere. After the doc heals ya up, I'll show ya ta the shrine." 

Houjun nodded and glanced out the window. Before he left Mt.Reikaku, he wanted to take in as much as he could. He didn't know when or if he would ever come to this area again, after all.

~*~*~*~*~

The small village that sat near the peak of Mt. Reikaku was a simple one. The homes were build out of stone and had been standing for over two-hundred years. At least, that was what the rumor said. No one was actually certain of its origins. Guarding the main pass to the shrine to Ifrit was the village elders home. Near it sat the infirmry, the interior of which was mostly white and soft colors.

Houjun sat on the examining table while he waited for Kouji to return with the healing mage. Hikou was waiting outside the room in case anyone was to try to attack the summoner and Alexander had disappered shortly after their arrival, which confirmed in the summoner's mind that his teacher had come to the mountain with more in mind than just protecting his pupil. His thoughts turned to his failed summoning at the arena and he sighed.

'When I looked into Ifrit's eyes...I felt like he would always be there to protect me...Maybe it was nothing after all...' The door opened and Kouji entered with a man dressed in a white, hooded robe. His eyes and hair were both a lovely shade of sea green and he carried a doll in his arms that had blonde corkscrew curls decorated with a red bow and dressed in a frilly, pink dress. 

"Here he is, Serevy-kun(1)," Kouji said, gesturing to the summoner. 

"Ah, I see. Looks like you injured your arm pretty good," Serevy observed, setting his doll beside the younger man."You can go, Kouji. I'll send him out when I'm through."

"No problem." The emerald-eyed man left, closing the door behind him. 

"Now, let me see that arm," he said, tugging at it gently. After undoing the bandages, he held the wounded limb lightly between his hands and began to heal it; a light green aura spreading from his fingers.

"Um..uh..Serevy-sensei," Houjun began timidly. "This...this won't affect my summoning ability in any way, will it? I've never...injured my arm this badly...and I-"

"Don't worry, Serevy will heal you perfectly."

For a moment the summoner froze, his body stiffening unconsciously as he looked at the doll beside him.

"Did...did that doll just talk?"

"Hmm?" Serevy looked up and smiled. "Is something wrong? The muscles in your arm tensed up suddenly."

"Ah, no. No, it's ok!" Houjun insisted. The mage smiled and continued healing his arm as the summoner returned his attention to the doll again. 

'It was just my imagination...it had to be...'

"Serevy is a skilled healer, you'll be better in just a minute. You don't have to worry about anything," the doll continued sweetly. 

'Maybe I've lost my sanity?' he worried, his left eyebrow twitching a bit.

"There you go, all better," the healer smiled before he retrieved his doll, cradling it to his chest. "So, who's next, Elizabeth?"

"Nasch is next, he has a broken arm," the doll replied.

"Ah yes," Serevy nodded before turning to a wide-eyed Houjun, smiling as though nothing was amiss. "Take care of yourself, young summoner. You have a long journey ahead of you and you'll need to be in good health." With that, he left the room. For a moment, the summoner sat alone, questioning his sanity. The door reopened and caught his attention.

"Did I ferget ta mention Serevy's a ventrillaquist?" Kouji laughed as he entered the room, Hikou following him and closing the door.

"W-what?! Why didn't you tell me?" Houjun cried. "I thought I was going crazy!"

"Because it's more amusing to watch you freak out," the water mage chuckled, unable to help himself. He had learned of Serevy's odd hobby moments before they had entered the room and knew that Houjun's reaction would be similar to his own. The summoner crossed his arms and huffed as his two guardians had a laugh at his expense, but soon found himself joining them. They stopped abruptly as the door to the examination room slammed open again.

"Houjun! Hikou! Kouji!" Alexander cried out. Houjun hopped off the table, concern in his eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Kouji asked as the instructor stopped breathlessly before them. 

"Shrine...problem... Go...now," he managed as he gasped for air. 

"A problem at the shrine?" Hikou asked. "But what could be wrong with the shrine?"

"Let's go and find out," the summoner said, rushing past his guardians towards the door.

"What's da hurry. anyway? He can already summon Ifrit, right?" Kouji asked.

"I-Ifrit...gone... GO!" Alexander shouted, panting heavily as he pointed in the direction of the shrine.

"You go, I'll take care of him," Sakata said, entering the room and going to the blonde's side. Kouji nodded and ran after Houjun, Hikou racing beside him.

~*~*~*~*~

The trio ran up the stone stairs that led to the shrine of Ifrit, Houjun taking them nearly two at a time. They were almost there when he finally halted and stooped to inspect something.

"What is it?" Hikou asked, stopping beside him.

"Dat's... Dat crystal's da same color as da one in front a da shrine," Kouji gasped as he spotted the amber-colored, jagged fragment of crystal in the summoner's hand. Houjun shook his head in disbelief and bolted up the stairs.

"This is impossible, isn't it?" he tried to assure himself. "There's no way that it's the sam-" He froze at the top of the stairs, the fragment falling from his hands and clinking almost muscially against the stone as his eyes fell on the sight before him. 

"It-it's been destroyed?" Hikou asked, eyes widening. Kouji stood beside him slack jawed. Houjun approached the broken remains of the amber-coloer crystal dome that had once housed the source of the shrine's aeon's power. It looked as though it had exploded from the inside as opposed to having been destroyed from the outside. He suddenly felt weak and dropped to his knees, a hollow ache filling his chest.

"Gone..." he whispered. "He...he's gone..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mwahahahahaha

R and R for more chapters ^_^

(1) Can anyone guess where Serevy is from? Anyone? Cameo to the winner. Please leave me with some way of contacting you, even if it's sending me a personal e-mail (aside from the reveiw, of course :p ). 


	7. Chapter 7

Sansele wins again ^^ Um...I'll give you another cameo, as promised...just not the cameo I intended since your character already has a place in the world. Yes Serevy is from Akazukin Chacha (Red Riding Hood Chacha), except it's spelled Seravy :p Even Sakata missed it while she was editing, though, so that's ok. Anyway, people should watch Chacha if possible. It's a fun series. 

Sorry this chapter's a little late. Damn school work .

Now on with the chapter.

Firey Remembrance

Chapter 7

"How...how could dis a' happened?" Kouji grumbled. They had entered the shrine in order to speak with the shrine's guardians about the crystal. The enormous, amber-colored gem had been the source of Ifrit, the shrine's aeon's, power and, as some theorized, it's life force as well. For certain, however, the aeon could not exsist without it. That much was written in the ancient scriptures. 

"Who was guardin' it?" he asked sharply, glaring at the nearest shrine guard. The young man took a step back nerveously.

"Ah, well...I was here, that I was," one of the guards responded, stepping forward. He had long red hair that was tied back and violet(?) eyes that were shaded by his loose bangs. He wore a fushia kimono-style top that was partly opened, white hakama, and a pair of simple sandals. 

"Well, Kenshin*?" Kouji asked, folding his arms. Houjun looked up from his seat at the base of one of the statues of the summoners that had defeated Sin in the past.

"Well, you see, no one came in at all. It was a quiet night, that it was. It was nearly midnight when it happened."

~*~

'Hmmm...my shift is nearly over, that it is,' Kenshin thought, looking up at the nearly full moon. He sighed after a moment and began making one last check of the area. He walked around the amber jewel of the aeon's power and stopped to gaze upon it for a moment. 

'Seems brighter than usual, that it does...' he thought, tilting his head slightly to the right. 'Prehaps he's being summoned into battle?' The shrine guard shook his head slightly and walked past it to the entrance. Just as he reached the door, he heard a loud cracking sound. The redhead spun around, his right hand flying to rest on the handle of his sword. His eyes widened as he heard the sound again, louder than the first time. He ran back to the crystal, standing over it in shock. Beneath the surface, several cracks had begun to form. The cracks lengthened and began to form on the surface as well. Kenshin stumbled backward, uncertain as to what was happening, let alone what he could do. The crystal emitted a fire-colored light and erupted, sending shards flying in every direction. The shrine guard had only enough time to shield his face from harm, but the force knocked him back several feet. He managed to look up after a moment and could vaguly make out a a shape emerge from the pillar of fire that rose into the the sky, but the flames flared brightly, and he was forced to shiled his eyes again. 

~*~

"It just exploded, then? That doesn't make any sense," Hikou grumbled.

"But that is what happened," Kenshin replied, calmly. "I am as baffled as you are, that I am."

"So the bottom line is dat Ifrit is gone," Kouji said, casting a side-long glance at Houjun. The summoner slowly rose to his feet and looked up at the statue.

"I...I won't let this stop me," he announced. "I'm upset at the loss...but somehow...I don't feel that he's lost to me..." he shook his head. "No...I feel like he's still with me...just like him," he finished quietly, his gaze still directed up at the statue's face.

"But how can you, or anyone else, defeat Sin without all of the aeons!?" the shrine priest asked.

"It can be done with five aeons, and there were originally six so all I have to do is find the lost shrine, right?" Houjun nodded and smiled. "I won't give up. I will see this journey through."

"Houjun..." Kouji said and then smiled as well. "Yer serious, huh? Den I'll help ya however I can."

"Thank you, Kouji," Houjun replied. "Right now, I think I should talk to Alexander about this."

"We'll go with you," Hikou said.

"I'll see ya guys tanight den. I got some things ta take care of."

"Alright, see you later Kouji." With that, Houjun turned and left the shrine with Hikou in tow.

"So, your father's statue is in Reikaku," the water mage stated simply once they were outside.

"Yeah...I think it's because Hakurou was one of my father's guardians," Houjun replied softly. 

"Probably." They walked in silence for a few minutes before Hikou spoke again. "You think that Ifrit's watching over you?"

"In a sense...sort of...it's hard to explain how I feel about it," the summoner replied, clasping his hands behind his neck. "It's kind of...a sort of calm, reassuring feeling...like...even though I can't summon him...he'll still be there for me...does that make sense?"

"Not really," Hikou admitted. "But as long as you're alright with it."

"I think I am...I just wish I knew why I felt like this..."

~*~*~*~*~

"You're telling me that the shrine's aeon no longer exsists and that it dosen't bother you?"

"That's right, Ayuru," Hakurou replied, folding his arms as he looked the master summoner in the face, unafraid of him.

"Then you are a failure to not only your village, but your liniage as well."

"Tell me, what should I have done? One of my best shrine guards was on duty that night and, from what he told me, there was nothing that could be done about it. It merely happened and there is no reversing it. I have already told the villagers to remain calm and that we can survive without the protection of the aeon. This village has stood for centuries and it will stand for many more."

"You take the word of a pathetic man who weilds a reverse-blade sword? And how do you suppose you can protect the village from Sin without an aeon's power?" Ayuru asked, narrowing his ice blue eyes. 

"We are still protected by the spirit of the mountain," Hakurou said. "Besides, why are you concerned about us? Shouldn't you be more worried about making sure the same thing doesn't happen to Shiva's crystal?"

Ayuru closed his eyes. "Hmph, have it your way, Hakurou. I'll leave." He turned and left the room without another word.

"An' stay off our mountain," Hakurou muttered as the door closed behind him. He sighed and sat down. "Attendant," he called. The door opened again and young man entered. He had short, nearly black brown hair and eyes of the same color. He wore a white button up shirt open over a dark blue t-shirt and black pants. 

"What is it Hakurou?" he asked quietly. Hakurou smiled and waved him closer.

"Shinji*, how are the preparations for tonight coming?" 

"Oh, well everything is on schedule," Shinji replied, coming a bit closer, but stopping hesitantly five feet from the village leader.

"That's good to hear. Has the blitz ball team returned with the summoner and his guardian?" Hakurou asked, leaning forward slightly.

"They have. I believe Kouji went to the shrine with the summoner."

"Then he knows. That's fine. See 'master' Ayuru off for me, then," the older man said, standing up. "If he doesn't leave immediatly, let me know."

"Yes sir," Shinji mumbled. He turned and left the room quickly, leaving the door open. Hakurou sighed and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed. 

"The first two are blitz ball players and the third child's timid as a mouse. How did this happen?" he wondered. The dark-haired man shook his head and headed toward the exit. "Speaking of the first two, I should have asked if they won." 

~*~

"They've arranged a dinner for you," Alexander said. He had calmed down quite a bit since the summoner had last seen him. They were out in the garden of the main house by a fountain. Sakata sat on a bench nearby under a cherry blossom tree cradling a baby fox, who seemed quite content to lay in her arms for the moment.

"That's nice of them," Houjun smiled. 

"We're also going to see to it that you have all the supplies you're going to need to get you to Sairou," Sakata added.

"That will be a big help," Hikou nodded. "Are you going back to Eiyo, Alexander?"

"No, I think I should stay here for a little while," the blonde replied with a slight smile. "I think they need me here more than in Eiyo. I'll have to send a message to Muraki to let him know what has happened."

"Well, then...I'll see you tonight..." Houjun said, turning away and walking off. Hikou nodded to Alexander before starting to follow his friend, but the summoner stopped him. "Hikou...I need to be alone for a little while, alright?" The cerulean-haired man continued walking away from them, the weight of everything bearing on his shoulders.

"Alright, Houjun. I'll see you tonight, then," Hikou whispered, turning back to Alexander.

"The night before...is always the hardest," the violet-eyed man sighed as he sat beside Sakata. "He knows what awaits him. Will you do your best to help him, Hikou?"

"You know I will, Alex. We've been friends since childhood, afterall. This is something he feels he has to do, and who am I to stop him."

Alexander regaurded Hikou for a moment, a knowing look on his face. "You know what will happen too, don't you? That you might-"

"I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help him see this through to the end," Hikou snapped, cutting him off. "Even if I wish that he hadn't chosen this path..."

~*~

Houjun walked down the path before him, his eyes on the ground. He could feel a dull ache in his heart as he thought about the journey he was about to begin. His mind was supposed to be focused on nothing but the road ahead, but it kept turning to thoughts of a certain red head. 

'Part of me wants to see him again...but part of me wants him to stay far away from me... What am I going to do...?' the summoner thought miserably. 

"If it isn't the young summoner Ri," a voice spoke amost mockingly from the path ahead of him. He looked up quickly to find himself under the icy gaze of Ayuru.

"M-master Ayuru? Wh-what are you doing here?" Houjun stammered, shocked to see Kutou's famed summoner in the gardens of Reikaku.

"I was coming to check on Ifrit's shrine," the blonde replied, approching the younger man. "Are you having second thoughts about the journey ahead because of the loss?"

"You mean because Ifrit's gone?" Houjun asked softly before shaking his head. "No, I can't give up this easily."

"Even you must know that you can't defeat Sin without five aeons," Ayuru said, stopping before him. "What is it you intend to do?"

"I..." the young summoner began, heart pounding. "I'm going to find the lost shrine."

"And what exactly do you hope to accomplish by going on this journey? Surely you know what will happen after you summon the final aeon."

"I do, but I have to know what happened to my parents," Houjun replied, his gaze lowering.

"Ah yes, your parents. They should have known better, really. It's a pity," Ayuru sighed, circling around the smaller man. "However, if you should wish to forfeit your title as summoner, you are always welcome in Kutou. I'm sure I can find a place for you."

"And I thought you'd be offering me words of encouragement," the younger man huffed, glancing back at the blonde. "I'll be going to Kutou, but only so I can attain Shiva."

"So be it, young Ri. Perhaps you'll change your mind before then. I pray you do," he murmured, smirking in an almost predatory way. Houjun glared back, pulse speeding as he steeled himself, not wanting to back down.

"Ayuru! I believe I asked you to leave," Hakurou bellowed, breaking the tense atmosphere as he came running towards the two summoners. 

"I was just doing that, Hakurou," the blonde replied cooly, continuing on the path as though nothing had happened. The village leader stopped before Houjun and looked at him. 

"Are you alright, summoner?" he asked.

Houjun continued to stare after Ayuru's retreating back a moment before tuning to Hakurou with a pleasant smile. "I'm fine," the younger man replied cheerfully.

"I'm glad. I was worried that he might have been putting ideas in your head," Hakurou sighed. He placed a hand on Houjun's shoulder and smiled. "Come on, everyone is waiting for you."

~*~

The dining hall was full of mirth and laughter as everyone sought to enjoy the evening. The blitz ball players sat together near the head of the table, making the most noise. Haruko and Nasch had engaged in a drinking contest, the latter being to busy getting drunk to notice that Viollet had stuck a little paper umbrella in the top of his absurd hair style. Sanosuke was sitting quietly, his arms wrapped possesivly around Kenshin, who leaned back against the taller man. Watari had five different bottles of wine in front of him and was combining them in various ways, a hobby of his that Kouji had mentioned to Houjun and Hikou before. The summoner and his two guardians sat at the head of the table with Hakurou, making them the center of attention for the evening. Alexander and Sakata were sitting somewhat apart from everyone else with a bottle of amazake(1) and trying to act like they weren't love birds, although everyone could see something was definitely between them.

Houjun picked at his food, his confrontation with Ayuru still bothering him. He looked up when one of the half-drunk villagers stood and raised his glass.

"Here's ta da blitz ball team and dere future winnin' streak!" Other glasses rose into the air as others answered the toast with a vibrant cheer.

"Here's ta Kouji in hope that he doesn't get his ass killed out there," one man laughed. 

"Yeah, we're gonna need him next year," Haruko replied, raising her glass for a moment before downing it and pouring anotehr shot. Hakurou cleared his throat and rose to his feet before raising his glass.

"I believe that now is as good a time as any to offer a toast to the young summoner and wish him well in his journey."

"Yeah, not to mention that if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have won," Watari pointed out, raising his latest concoction towards Houjun. The rest of the team agreed and Houjun found himself smiling. 

'Everyone's been trying their best to make me happy tonight...,' the summoner thought. He nodded at the team and held up his glass before bringing it to his lips. 'I won't worry about what lies ahead, then. This might be the last time I can have fun, so I'm going to enjoy myself too.'

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The people with asteriks (*) after their names are the two cameos. Whoever can correctly identify them both first gets the cameo.

(1) amazake is sweet sake

And now, because you know you want it (and because my muse told me to ;) ) here are some akugis!

Number 1

"Yes sir," Shinji mumbled. He turned and left the room quickly, leaving the door open. Hakurou sighed and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed. 

"The first two are blitz ball players and the third child's a puss."

"I heard that!" Shinji's voice yelled back. "Eva unit 01!" 

Hakurou looked up as a gigantic shadow fell over him. "Oh shit..."

Number 2

"And what exactly do you hope to accomplish by going on this journey? Surely you know what will happen after you summon the final aeon."

"I do, but I have to know what happened to my parents," Houjun replied, his gaze lowering.

"Houjun, it's futile. Join the dark side." The Kutou summoner's voice deepened ominously. "I am your father!"

Houjun fell to his knees, a look of horror on his face. "NOOOOOOOOOOO! Oh wait a minute, my father's dead!"

Number 3

"We're also going to see to it that you have all the supplies you're going to need to get you to Sairou," Sakata added.

"That will be a big help," Hikou nodded. "Are you going back to Eiyo, Alexander?"

"No, I think I should stay here for a little while," the blonde replied with a slight smile. "I think they need me here more than in Eiyo." Sakata suddenly jumped up and lifted the blonde off his feet. "In fact, I think they need me right now!" he said as the blitz ball player hurried into the bushes with him. After a moment, the foilage stared shaking and strange noises could be heard from within.

Both Houjun and Hikou sweat dropped and slowly began backing away from the bushes.


End file.
